Devices for sectioning an electrical circuit are used in order to open or close a connection of that electrical circuit, and allow a minimum physical distance to be ensured between the first sectioning member and the corresponding sectioning terminals when the circuit is open. Sectioning devices are used, for example, in units for distributing electrical energy for rail vehicles.
Patent Application EPO479694A1 discloses a sectioning device. The first sectioning member is a movable bar which is composed of insulating material and which is provided with electrical contacts. The automatic control means comprise an electromagnetic switch comprising a metal plate which is fixedly joined to a movable sectioning bar in terms of translation. The manual resetting control member is a lever which is mounted so as to be able to move in rotation about an axle which is fixedly joined to the housing at one of the ends thereof and which is connected to the movable bar.
However, such a sectioning device involves risks of electrocution upon contact with the main sectioning terminals when the circuit is open, that is to say, when the first sectioning member is in the open position. Those risks are even more pronounced because the resetting of the sectioning device is manual.